


Little Robin Boy

by IAmStoryteller



Series: Over The Love of You [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-18
Updated: 2014-02-18
Packaged: 2018-01-12 23:57:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1205260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmStoryteller/pseuds/IAmStoryteller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>New 52, Spoilers, Bette visits Dick after the events of Forever Evil at the behest of Barbara.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Robin Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Mentions of PTSD, mention of possible torture, spoilers for Forever Evil, I chose my own outcome.

She was not really sure what she was doing there, entering the window to the Outlaws’ warehouse and straight into the room that Dick Grayson was using to hideout from everyone and everything, especially Batman (Bruce Wayne). It had been three months since they got Dick back. Barbara Gordon asked her to come and talk to Dick. Bette did not know what she could do, but understood why Barbara came to her. If Roy, Kory, Raven, Beast Boy and Barbara, herself could not reach Dick, nor the fact that Tim needed him before the boy’s mind broke again, and that Jason needed him too, even if Jason would not admit it. Bette knew exactly who would have been able to knock some sense into Dick, if Roy couldn’t.

Wally. Donna. Garth. Tula.

The tears always came when she thought about them. They were her friends, they were a team, they were family, and they were extremely important to Dick and to her. It had been only a few years back when they were killed by the never-ending battles.

Clad in her Hawkfire ensemble, she barely managed to break away from her cousin, Batwoman, for solo patrol. Kate still worried about her and did not trust her to not get hurt on patrol. Sometimes, even seasoned heroes made mistakes. 

She found Dick, dressed in only sweatpants, watching a muted television, in a dark room, surrounded by empty boxes of cereal and other things. He sat on the bed.

Bette remembered the first time that she saw him. She remembered the first time she met him. Remembered when he was Robin and she was Bat-Girl. Then suddenly they were Nightwing and Flamebird. Now, she was Hawkfire and he was…not-Nightwing anymore. The whole world knew that Dick Grayson was Nightwing. Thankfully no one put it together that Nightwing was once the first Robin and the replacement Batman when the original was thought to be dead. To her, he was still amazing.

He was hurting.

She was not good at stuff like this, at comforting others. She was an awkward and silly person. Dick rarely took her seriously, even though they’ve known each other since they both first put on the suits when they were young. She had a bag with her, which she picked up at her apartment. Dick did not even acknowledge her presence.

Bette pulled out a Dumbo stuffed animal. Dumbo was Dick’s favorite Disney movie. She gave an awkward smile and sat on the bed next to him. She pulled off her Hawkfire cowl.

“Hey, Dick,” said Bette. She placed the stuffed animal in his lap. His blue eyes stared at the stuffed creature, mutely. “I hope you still like Dumbo. You’re favorite Disney feature, right? I’m not even sure what I’m doing here, but I guess I wanted to make sure that you were okay. I’ve been worrying about you.”

She was used to having one-sided conversations. She had them with Kate and Uncle Jacob all the time. 

“Get out.”

Dick’s voice sounded so hollow, so lost. If she were a different person, or if she knew for certain that he wouldn’t push her away, she would give him a hug, because he really needed one. Instead, the anger in her flared. Most people thought that Dick was the nicest of the Bats. In fact, he was the most dangerous because of that fact. He had a temper and he could be a complete jackass when provoked. 

But Bette had a temper too and she could be a complete bitch.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Mr. Almighty Never-Do-No-Wrong Grayson, for intruding on your pity brooding party,” snapped Bette. She knew it was not fair of her to take out her anger on the way that Kate sometimes treated her on Dick. She nearly had enough of brooding vigilantes. If she were the giving-up kind, she would have flown back to L.A. after the incident. Dick looked vaguely surprised at her outburst. “What? Do you think that I come here just to get spit on by you? Dick, you need to get out of this. I understand that you’re going through PSTD. You were captured by super-villain counterparts of our greatest heroes and now you can’t show your face in public.”

“I don’t want to talk, Bette, just go home to Kate,” said Dick, snapping right back at her. His blue eyes were like ice.

“Yeah, well, too freaking bad, Dick. For the love of God, what would Damian say to this pity party? He’d call you an idiot, right? What about Timmy? Timmy needs you right now. Jason’s trying to take care of him and you, but he needs you too. They need their big brother. They need you. Barbara needs you, even if she won’t tell me outright. God, Bruce needs you. You should have seen him when you were captured, barely thinking straight. If it weren’t for Bluejay, I don’t know what would have happened,” ranted Bette. She got right in his face, and stared him down. He stared right back.

His mouth turned into a scowl. “What do you want from me, Bette?”

Bette went silent. She evened her tone, so she was not full-blown yelling at him. “I want you to start acting like the man that I admire again. You’re always going to be my favorite hero, Dick. I believe in you, even if you won’t believe in yourself. So you can’t be Nightwing anymore. Forge a new path. Believe I know, I miss being Flamebird, it was a part of me, like Nightwing was a part of you.”

Dick stopped glaring at her and sighed. He gripped the stuffed animal. “I failed.” She growled and pinched his cheek. “Ow, what the hell was that for?”

“Guess what? I failed too. Years of being a superhero, I almost get gutted by a nameless man with a hook and nearly died, Dick. We’re only human and we’re not perfect.”

“Dumbo’s still my favorite.”

Bette let out a hollow laugh. “Nice try at changing the subject, Robin boy.” He sighed again and leaned against her.

“I still hear Owlman’s voice in my head, goading me, trying to break me,” said Dick, shuddering. “His Dick Grayson died, so he wanted me to replace him. The rest of them…”

“Stop, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me,” said Bette, cringing at the thought of those sons of bitches hurting her Dick. Then she whispered, “I still hear the man with the hook’s voice, mocking me as he hovered over me, every night when I close my eyes.” She hugged him, breathing in his scent, and he hugged her back.

“Bette, I feel like nothing makes sense anymore.”

“I know. Me too, Dick.”

It would take time for Dick to come terms of what happened to him when he captured by the enemy. It would always haunt him, like Bette’s near-death did to her. Still, wallowing in self-pity and isolating yourself from the people that care about you would not help anyone.

“Little Wing and Timmy need me, huh?” He said it with such fondness that she wished that he was her big brother. Jason, Tim and Damian were all so lucky.

“Sure do,” said Bette. They broke from the hug. She handed him the bag. “All your favorite Disney movies. Tim and Jason are out in the living room. Go and be with your brothers. Call Barbara. Talk to Roy. And for the love of God, talk to Kory.” Dick gave her a smile, as she stood up and pulled her cowl over her face.

“Hawkfire’s a good look for you,” said Dick. “And Bette…” She turned to leave, as he started to speak again. “Thanks for still thinking of me as your hero, even though I don’t deserve it.” She turned and smiled at him, even thought Hawkfire was not supposed to do happy anymore.

“You’re not perfect, Dick and yet, you still do what you do. That’s why you’re my hero. Have a good night.”

“Be safe.”

“Be safe, too.”


End file.
